Bradley M. Gottfried's The Maps of First Bull Run: An Atlas of the First
Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign, including the Battle of Ball's Bluff,
June - October 1861 is the eagerly awaited companion volume to his
bestselling The Maps of Gettysburg (2007, two editions, four printings),
part of the ongoing Savas Beatie Atlas Series.
The Maps of First Bull Run breaks down the entire operation (and related
actions) into numerous map sets or "action-sections" enriched with more
than fifty full-color original full-page maps. These cartographic
originals bore down to the regimental and battery level and include the
march to and from the battlefield and virtually every significant event
in between. At least two--and as many as seventeen--maps accompany each
"action-section." Keyed to each piece of cartography is a full facing
page of detailed text describing the units, personalities, movements,
and combat (including quotes from eyewitnesses) depicted on the
accompanying map, all of which make the story of First Bull Run come
alive.
This original presentation makes it easy for readers to quickly locate a
map and text on virtually any portion of the campaign. Readers will
maneuver with Confederate and Union armies in the Shenandoah Valley,
march with General McDowell's Federals to the plains of Manassas, and
fight blow-by-blow through the battle up to its stunning climax on Henry
House Hill and the final retreat from the battlefield all the way to
Washington. The smaller but important Battle of Ball's Bluff is also
covered in the same fashion, as is the skirmish at Lewinsville. Serious
students will appreciate the extensive and authoritative endnotes,
bibliography, and complete orders of battle. They will also want to
bring the book along on their trips to the battlefields.
Perfect for the easy chair or for walking hallowed ground, The Maps of
First Bull Run is a seminal work that, like his earlier Gettysburg
study, belongs on the bookshelf of every serious and casual student of
the Civil War.
About the Author: Bradley M. Gottfried, Ph.D., is the President of the
College of Southern Maryland. An avid Civil War historian, Dr. Gottfried
is the author of five books, including Brigades of Gettysburg: The Union
and Confederate Brigades at the Battle of Gettysburg (2002) and The Maps
of Gettysburg (2007). He is currently working with co-editor Theodore P.
Savas on a Gettysburg Campaign encyclopedia.
